Year: 2013
'It doesn't add up!' Statistics and the fight for equality
19th December 2013
In the autumn of 1973, the University of California at Berkeley was sued for sexism against women. This wasn’t a new accusation, and in fact at the time universities often found themselves in the midst of similar controversies, but this time, it looked like there was irrefutable proof... Read more >
Paws for thought: what cats can teach us about learning
5th December 2013
‘Every child is born curious. Nurture their curiosity and they will learn.' So said the headteacher of a leading public school when he was asked what schools should do to engage students who simply didn’t want to be there... Read more >
More connected than you think: GCSEs and university success
21st November 2013
‘Sir! This is so long! Why do I have to do this stupid subject when I know I want to be an engineer / doctor / accountant / lawyer?’ We’ve all heard this sentiment expressed by GCSE students... Read more >
Private schools and the university fetish
12th November 2013
Recently I read a newspaper article which quoted the statistic that 96% of privately educated students go on to university compared to just 39% of students educated in the state system... Read more >
What are you doing with your life? How we can help students decide what happens post GCSEs
4th November 2013
What support do we give students who are choosing their path after GCSEs? From 2010 the government began dismantling Connexions, the national service for careers advice which included a UK-wide network of career advisers who were based in dedicated centres but also spent time in schools... Read more >
The ignored middle: what should they do next?
24th October 2013
When I was teaching I romanticized the struggle of the bright but poor child. A lot of teachers do the same, perhaps because in students who are stopped from excelling academically purely by their background, the injustice of wasted potential is so clear... Read more >
The American Connection
1st October 2013
Last year 20% of Wellington College’s leavers took up places at US universities. 18% of Taunton School’s students did the same. Wellington and Taunton are independent schools; across state schools, the percentage of students leaving to study at US universities was negligible... Read more >
Big data, Big questions
14th July 2013
Edward Snowden’s revelations have shown that the US and UK governments have been scooping up enormous quantities of data on how we use the internet, and sifting it for information... Read more >
Why is no one talking about the DATA?
16th June 2013
Today the government released a report which shows that there has been no improvement in participation at the most selective universities among the least advantaged young people since the mid-1990s... Read more >
Decision time: why students struggle to choose universities
1st June 2013
Last August I was helping Mustafa make his university applications. ‘Do you know what you want to study?’ ‘Civil Engineering.’ ‘Do you know which universities you’re going to apply to?’ ‘Well… kind of... Read more >